Happy 60th, Len...

BBC to mark Lenny Henry's birthday with a one-off special

BBC One is to celebrate Sir Lenny Henry’s 60^th birthday with a special hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald.

It will feature archive clips from a TV career that started 43 years ago with an appearance on New Faces and revisit characters such as Theophilus P. Wildebeeste, Delbert Wilkins, Deakus and Mister Lister. There will also be new sketches featuring special guests.

Shane Allen, the BBC’s controller of comedy commissioning, said: ‘Lenny’s unparalleled career is down to his superb versatility and huge charisma.’

‘This landmark special hosted gives audiences the chance to celebrate this well-loved larger than life talent by going back to his origins as a comedy whirlwind with a phenomenal talent to create and inhabit characters. It’s going to be more than oookaaay!’

Sir Lenny added: ‘This is a great honour. I’m very chuffed to have my comedy work celebrated like this.

‘One of the reasons I became a comedy performer was because of the rich and varied palette of comedy broadcast on the BBC throughout my childhood. I was hooked and my early career displays the connection.

‘ I’m a comedy consumer now, but my teens were marked by my family’s tendency to sit round the television and watch everything. So big up Auntie Beeb - you’re the reason I’m here…"

The special will air later this year. The exact date has not been revealed, but Sir Lenny turns 60 on August 29.